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Daily experiments in LGBTQeneditor@bilerico.com (Bil Browning)Copyright 2004-2015http://cdn.bilerico.net/img/BLogo500.pngThe Bilerico Projecthttp://www.bilerico.com/
Mon, 29 Nov 2010 11:00:00 -0500http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/?v=5.2.6http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rssMy Words from Baton Rouge's Transgender Day of Remembrance
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]]>I had the privilege to be the lead organizer of this years Transgender Day of Remembrance in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This was my first time organizing a day of remembrance and my first time speaking at the event. There were other speakers, but events in the Louisiana Community compelled me to say a few words. Enough time has passed that I would like to share what I wrote and read with the Bilerico community.

My Remarks from Baton Rouge Transgender Day of Remembrance

Sadly, this event is one of the over 200 Transgender Day of Remembrance events that take place this week in 19 countries and 39 states. I say sadly because events like these should not be necessary. A day dedicated to remembering the violent murders of our transgender brothers and sisters should not be necessary.

The lives we mourn tonight should not have been taken. This event is about remembering the past so we are not doomed to repeat it.

If you leave tonight and don't dedicate yourself to fighting the ignorance and hatred that leads to the violent slaying of transgender men and women this event was a waste for you. To many have been lost because of inaction and excuses. A commitment to change things and stand together could have saved some of these people.

Bruce Parkerhttp://www.bilerico.com/2010/07/a_lost_opportunity_in_baton_rouge_la.php
http://www.bilerico.com/2010/07/a_lost_opportunity_in_baton_rouge_la.phpPoliticsThu, 29 Jul 2010 14:00:00 -0500http://www.bilerico.com/2010/07/a_lost_opportunity_in_baton_rouge_la.php#comments3 Lessons to Take Away from Ron Goldgate
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]]>Being a contributor to The Bilerico Project is important to me for lots of different reasons. The primary one is that I passionately believe in what Bil, Jerame, and Alex started out trying to do here. I believe that they wanted to create a space where we, as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and allied folks, could engage in hard conversations across and in various forms of difference. This goal is as important today as it was when they first settled on it. Perfecting our ability to have these conversations is essential to any hope we have of creating lasting social change.

Another main reason is that being a part of the Bilerico family makes me feel connected to Bil Browning, one of my best friends and the only person who I believe understands some of the more peculiar parts of my experiences of my bipolar disorder. Finally, trying to finish my Ph.D. at Louisiana State University and some complications with me being bipolar has greatly limited my involvement in LGBTQ activism since I moved to Louisiana. Being a part of Bilerico Project allows me to continue to feel a part of the larger struggle for social justice of which Bilerico is a vital part.

So, while I am at this point an infrequent contributor, I remain flattered and proud of being invited to continue contributing to this community. I share the above thoughts about my ongoing involvement with the Bilerico Project because an important theme in this post is that context matters. My involvement and the decision to publish Ron Gold's post aren't events that occur in a vacuum. This is all prefacing my contribution to the ongoing discussion of Ron Goldgate, as I have taken to calling it. As exhausting as this process has been in the only four days that it has been going on I believe that there are some lessons we can learn from it.

While some contributors and readers have expressed the ways the events of the last few days has made them consider leaving the blog, for me it has only increased my commitment to this project of which we are all a part. This experience makes our efforts here together all the more important.

I become convinced that she would be an ardent support of Obama's administration during her passionate speech at the Democratic National Convention. It became clear beyond a shadow of a doubt that despite her personal disappointment she was happy to get to see the first black President of the United States be elected in her lifetime. I believe that she will work diligently to further American interests across the globe during the Obama administration.

I have grown increasingly convinced that Obama is sexist in potentially dangerous ways. He seemed genuinely unaware of the misogynist overtones of some of his statements during the primary such as referring to Hillary being overemotional or her "claws coming out." In a really peculiar way his selection of her as Secretary of State only confirmed my conviction that sexism played a substantial role in the campaign.

Bruce Parkerhttp://www.bilerico.com/2009/01/the_obama_doctrine_tea_parties.php
http://www.bilerico.com/2009/01/the_obama_doctrine_tea_parties.phpPoliticsThu, 08 Jan 2009 10:00:00 -0500http://www.bilerico.com/2009/01/the_obama_doctrine_tea_parties.php#commentsHillary, Sarah, and Feminism?
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]]>In the first class of the advanced seminar in Feminist Theories that I am taking this term, the Professor asked students in the course to introduce themselves by offering their definition of feminism. I was amazed as the eleven people in the room defined feminism either entirely without mentioning women or diluting that mention with the environment, more general human rights, and pop culture watered down notions of accepting diversity. While I was pleased with my definition that included mentions of both academia and activism as well as gender identity and expression, I also did not specifically mention women.

The class is evenly split between male and female students and the only notable difference in the responses as broken down by sex was that two of the men refused to offer a definition saying, "They had no idea."

After following Hillary so closely since she became first lady and watching the coverage of Sarah Palin so closely for the past week, I am left wondering what sorts of feminism each of them represent. Are they both feminists? Is one more in touch with current understandings of feminism than the other? Who speaks more directly to the experiences of American women?

Bruce Parkerhttp://www.bilerico.com/2008/09/hillary_sarah_and_feminism.php
http://www.bilerico.com/2008/09/hillary_sarah_and_feminism.phpThe MovementMon, 08 Sep 2008 13:00:00 -0500http://www.bilerico.com/2008/09/hillary_sarah_and_feminism.php#commentsLike I Never Left!
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]]>Wow! Whitney Houston kinda lost her shit. I wasn't sure she would ever get it back together. I have a special spot for women and gay men (like Mariah Carey and Bil Browning) who come undone and then rise from the ashes like a phoenix.

My mom loved and continues to play old school 80's Whitney. There was no limit to how many times her and I could dance around our living room to "I want to dance." The first drag queen I dated captured my heart thanks to a moving rendition of "It's not right, but it's okay." He had me at "take care of my own babies." I played that song and that album for years as I was getting ready to go gay clubbing.

In anticipation of her first post-Bobby album, the single "Like I Never Left" has been leaked to the internet and is available after the jump. By the way, it features Akon.

Bruce Parkerhttp://www.bilerico.com/2008/07/like_i_never_left_1.php
http://www.bilerico.com/2008/07/like_i_never_left_1.phpEntertainmentMon, 28 Jul 2008 11:00:00 -0500http://www.bilerico.com/2008/07/like_i_never_left_1.php#commentsA Few Random Gender Related Stories
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]]>I clearly haven't been blogging much lately, but have been collecting a few things that I keep meaning to share with my Bilerico family. Below are a few gender related things that have been in my "blog ideas" folder for a while.

A collection of online essays called Beyond Masculinity: Essays by Queer Men on Gender and Politics is up and available online. It is a great collection and one of the contributors was my fellow Antioch College Student (Solis). Check out this collection and be sure to spread the word.

Bruce Parkerhttp://www.bilerico.com/2008/07/a_few_random_gender_related_stories.php
http://www.bilerico.com/2008/07/a_few_random_gender_related_stories.phpWeekly ReaderWed, 16 Jul 2008 09:00:00 -0500http://www.bilerico.com/2008/07/a_few_random_gender_related_stories.php#commentsTRANScending Identities - A Resource for Transgender Literature
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]]>I have recently been working on a research project and publication that combines my work with TransYouth Family Allies and my Ph.D. studies in education. The study addresses portrayals of gender variant and transgender characters in young adult literature. A professor of education and I have been looking at the possible ways for high school teachers to engage in professional development activities geared towards promoting understanding.

We choose to focus on a book group that read young adult literature. I may write more about the process, texts we used, and some of the things we found soon. Today, I wanted to take a moment to steer people toward a wonderful online resource called TRANScending Identities through the San Francisco Public Library.

Check out the resource and let me know what ya'll think in the comments.

Bruce Parkerhttp://www.bilerico.com/2008/07/transcending_identities_a_resource_for_t.php
http://www.bilerico.com/2008/07/transcending_identities_a_resource_for_t.phpLivingTue, 15 Jul 2008 11:00:00 -0500http://www.bilerico.com/2008/07/transcending_identities_a_resource_for_t.php#commentsSongs for Sunday - The Depressed Boy Edition
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]]>Anyone who knows me at all won't be surprised that my music tastes change a lot, but are always marked by an obsession with a certain artist, band, song, or type of music that can last for as long as a year or just a few days. The last month or so I have been listening to a mix on my iTunes and my iPhone, I titled Emo Boy Mix. I was recently told that I was misusing the word Emo, but didn't really care. So below is my list of the ten best depressed boy songs that are dominating my iMusic world.

Anna Begins - The Counting Crows

9 Crimes - Damien Rice

The Scientist - Coldplay

Strange and Beautiful (I'll Put a Spell On You) - Aqualung

Sleeping In - The Postal Service

What Sarah Said - Death Cab For Cutie

Boy with a Coin - Iron and Wine

Grapevine Fires - Death Cab For Cutie

Love and Some Verses - Iron and Wine

Talking Bird - Death Cab For Cutie

These bands particularly Aqualung, The Postal Service, Death Cab For Cutie and Iron and Wine are new to me so I can't get enough of them right now.

Take a minute and share with Projectors some music that you like that is a bit out of character or doesn't reflect the majority of your music taste. What is the last few songs you have listened to and liked that no one would guess?

Bruce Parkerhttp://www.bilerico.com/2008/07/songs_for_sunday_the_depressed_boy_editi.php
http://www.bilerico.com/2008/07/songs_for_sunday_the_depressed_boy_editi.phpEntertainmentSun, 13 Jul 2008 10:30:00 -0500http://www.bilerico.com/2008/07/songs_for_sunday_the_depressed_boy_editi.php#commentsSome Birthday Reflections
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]]>I don't like my birthday. I have never enjoyed them much and probably never will. My family birthday's when I was younger were never very fun and celebrations and holidays were always hard times for my mother and I. As often as not, we found ourselves alone. So as I have aged I have strived to make as little of an event as possible out of June 5.

I am glad I was born in June, as being a Gemini seems to fit me very well. I have a little Gemini pride.

I usually take the day to reflect on the past year. I pick through the accomplishments and failures, good choices and bad in the hopes of visioning a clearer picture of what I want for my future. Two significant things have happened this year that are worth talking about a little with any readers who are interested.

I finished my first year of my Ph.D. program & I decided to go on mood stabilizing medication for bipolar disorder. If you are in the mood for some personal reflection and birthday introspection read on. If you came here today looking for current events, I am sure that Bil or Alex has something intelligent and engaging to say.

When I was twelve, I spent a lot of time telling anyone who would listen that you were ranked as one of the 100 most influential lawyers in America before even marrying Bill. You had a career before becoming Bill's wife, and if for any reason you ever decide not to still be his wife, you will continue to be successful.

Your work on the Nixon impeachment, children's rights, and public interest law continues to inspire me. Your early and continued commitment to civil rights and social change is inspiring. You reinforce to me that a commitment to a better world is sustainable and makes a difference. Thank you for that.

Bruce Parkerhttp://www.bilerico.com/2008/06/a_thank_you_note_to_senator_hillary_clin.php
http://www.bilerico.com/2008/06/a_thank_you_note_to_senator_hillary_clin.phpPoliticsThu, 05 Jun 2008 11:30:00 -0500http://www.bilerico.com/2008/06/a_thank_you_note_to_senator_hillary_clin.php#commentsSo Much For My Happy Ending
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]]>Like every other queer man for miles and miles, I was tingling with anticipation for the release of the Sex and the City movie. I missed opening weekend because I was in Philadelphia for the Transgender Health Conference, but after my plane landed on Sunday I rushed to the theater with my friend Sybil. The movie didn't disappoint. It was like three episodes back to back.

What did disappoint me was the ending for Samantha. Having never been super pious myself, I always identified with her. So at the end of the series when she ended up with happy with a hot piece of man-candy like Smith, I was thrilled. It seemed like the whore with the heart of gold got her happy ending.

I understand that in order to have a plot in the movie we needed new events in the lives of the girls. But I am not the least bit pleased with the turn that Samantha's love life took. Be warned my general musings on the movie and my grief stricken thoughts on Samantha are after the jump. It contains spoilers.

Bruce Parkerhttp://www.bilerico.com/2008/06/so_much_for_my_happy_ending.php
http://www.bilerico.com/2008/06/so_much_for_my_happy_ending.phpEntertainmentThu, 05 Jun 2008 08:30:00 -0500http://www.bilerico.com/2008/06/so_much_for_my_happy_ending.php#commentsToo Little, Too Late
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]]>My mother called me last night in an incredibly upbeat mood. She had just finished watching clips of Reverend Jeremiah Wright's latest statements. In a joking way she asked me if Hillary and Bill had paid Reverend Wright to get him to make the statements that he made.

We talked a little bit about the coverage and I tried to explain to my mother how frustrating all of this was for me. The complexities of the campaign regarding race, social class, and gender have left me feeling discouraged lately. As desperately as I support Hillary Clinton, I don't want her to win based on racism and xenophobia alone. But, that isn't what this post is about. After we got off the phone I let the conversation go and went back to writing about Butlerian approaches to autobiographical theory within education.

Today, sitting at Highland Coffee (my favorite local coffee shop in Baton Rouge) taking a break from the same paper described above, I saw the Huffington Post's coverage of Barack Obama distancing himself aggressively from Reverend Wright and his comments. Ladies and gentlemen, clearly Barack Obama has put on his "big-girl panties" and is ready to be a politician.

Bruce Parkerhttp://www.bilerico.com/2008/04/too_little_too_late.php
http://www.bilerico.com/2008/04/too_little_too_late.phpPoliticsTue, 29 Apr 2008 17:48:16 -0500http://www.bilerico.com/2008/04/too_little_too_late.php#commentsF*CK Albert Einstein - Mariah Gets The Formula Right!
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]]>Those of you who know me might have picked up on the signs that I tend a little toward the obsessive side. If you have been reading the blog for a while you have probably seen evidence of my obsessions with Kelly Clarkson and Hillary Clinton on your monitor. Even though I don't talk about it a lot, I have been in love with Britney Spears since the sophomore year of my undergraduate degree when she was in that sexy, intense Pepsi commercial. I even bought her new album.

Well, as the first year of my Ph.D. program comes to an end, my 2008 summer obsession is setting in. I am ashamed to admit that Mariah Carey is all I can think about both night and day. My affinity for crazy people draws me to her, and in my warped head I can connect her with two of my best friends (Rhonda and Bil) who are both what I would affectionately call "crazy" and have gone on to become successful.

Mariah Carey has more Billboard #1 songs than Elvis Presley and is quickly encroaching on The Beatles' position at the top. She is now tied with Madonna and Janet Jackson for second most number one albums for a female artist, right behind Barbra Streisand. Her eleventh studio album, E=MC2, may be the best recording of her career so far.

Bruce Parkerhttp://www.bilerico.com/2008/04/fck_albert_einstein_mariah_gets_the_form.php
http://www.bilerico.com/2008/04/fck_albert_einstein_mariah_gets_the_form.phpEntertainmentSat, 26 Apr 2008 22:17:55 -0500http://www.bilerico.com/2008/04/fck_albert_einstein_mariah_gets_the_form.php#commentsAn Open Letter to Ally Organizations
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]]>This week's issue of the Advocate leads with a cover story about Lawrence King and asks who is to blame for his death? Please review the excerpt available online and join us in our effort to refocus this conversation on the important work we are all doing to change the climate for GLBT kids in their schools and communities.

For those who are interested in the complete article we are discouraging the purchase of this issue and suggest you stop by your local book store or newstand to read it. It is not available on line at this time.

If you would like to be a published signatory of the following letter simply e-mail including your organizational name as you would like it to appear. The letter will be posted to our website and updated several times a day. On Friday morning, March 28th we will send the completed letter to the Advocate with a request that they take the time to feature the good works of our organizations rather than writing articles which imply that perhaps our GLBT youth are safer in the closet.

Bruce Parkerhttp://www.bilerico.com/2008/03/an_open_letter_to_ally_organizations.php
http://www.bilerico.com/2008/03/an_open_letter_to_ally_organizations.phpAction AlertsTue, 25 Mar 2008 15:00:00 -0500http://www.bilerico.com/2008/03/an_open_letter_to_ally_organizations.php#commentsBe a Trans Ally
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]]>In the Out Magazine April 2008 Transgender Issue, hidden at the bottom of page 25 is a really strong list of five ways to be a trans ally, by Dean Spade. Dean is a Harvard Law teaching fellow and founder of the Sylvia Rivera Law Project. Below is his list of ways to be a trans ally.

1. Work with transpeople to push your city's homeless shelter system to place residents according to their gender identity and safety, rather than birth gender.

An important component of this point is that it emphasizes working with transpeople. Oftentimes, as lesbian or gay folks try to work on transgender-related issues, they forget to include transgender people in the conversations and actions. This ends up being damaging, and reflects a paternalistic approach to being an ally that I experienced a lot while working with Indiana's lesbian and gay communities.

Bruce Parkerhttp://www.bilerico.com/2008/03/be_a_trans_ally.php
http://www.bilerico.com/2008/03/be_a_trans_ally.phpTransgender & IntersexTue, 18 Mar 2008 13:15:00 -0500http://www.bilerico.com/2008/03/be_a_trans_ally.php#commentsResponse to "Gender: The Final Frontier"
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]]>My response to "Gender: The Final Frontier" by Josh Kilmber-Purcell is a part of my weeklong obsessive dissection of Out magazine's transgender issue. When, from time to time, I do pick up Out, I always enjoy Kilmer-Purcell's column. He is engaging, witty and often I agree with his analysis. This month really isn't all that different.

I, of course, was a little skeptical when he opened by declaring himself "post-gender" and still think it was a regrettable way to start out his otherwise astute column. After declaring himself post-gender he says,

From this day forward I'm not going to use the words masculine, feminine, or any of their derivations. They're meaningless, useless, and far too often meant as weapons rather than compliments.

To hear more about Kilmer-Purcell being post-gender and some of the really cool things he says in his column, follow me after the jump. Please?

Bruce Parkerhttp://www.bilerico.com/2008/03/response_to_gender_the_final_frontier.php
http://www.bilerico.com/2008/03/response_to_gender_the_final_frontier.phpTransgender & IntersexMon, 17 Mar 2008 14:45:00 -0500http://www.bilerico.com/2008/03/response_to_gender_the_final_frontier.php#commentsOut Magazine's Transgender Issue
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]]>I am much more likely to read Time or Newsweek instead of Out. I tend to enjoy political news and the current obsessive presidential campaign coverage more than white gay male focused pop culture articles. However, I heard that the April 2008 issue would be their transgender issue so I couldn't help myself. I bought the issue. Before I get into it any more let me say I really appreciate and applaud their effort and overall it was pretty enjoyable.

After the jump I talk about the first few pieces in the issue and will try throughout this week to talk about some of the other articles that dealt with transgender issues. I will also repost the short resources lists so that they are available here as well with some commentary of course.

Bruce Parkerhttp://www.bilerico.com/2008/03/out_magazines_transgender_issue.php
http://www.bilerico.com/2008/03/out_magazines_transgender_issue.phpTransgender & IntersexMon, 17 Mar 2008 09:30:00 -0500http://www.bilerico.com/2008/03/out_magazines_transgender_issue.php#commentsOut Magazine's Ten Essential Transgender Titles
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]]>This is the first of a series of posts about this month's transgender issue of Out Magazine, I wanted to list the books that they argue are essential reading and then add a few of my own to the list.

Bruce Parkerhttp://www.bilerico.com/2008/03/out_magazines_ten_essential_transgender.php
http://www.bilerico.com/2008/03/out_magazines_ten_essential_transgender.phpEntertainmentSun, 16 Mar 2008 21:30:00 -0500http://www.bilerico.com/2008/03/out_magazines_ten_essential_transgender.php#commentsBullying in Schools
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]]>With all the school issues that have been coming up for LGBT youth lately, it seems like a good time to pay attention to the ways that bullying in schools is a part of a larger problem. A problem that can be very deadly.

After the jump, I am posting an article from Education Week by Lyn Mikel Brown that talks about what comes after simple approaches to preventing bullying. I am presenting with Lyn at the American Educational Researchers Association meeting in New York in about two weeks and think that her work on these issues is particularly poignant and relevant as we work to make schools safe.